1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shelter (carrier, box, cage or the like) and, more particularly, to a foldable and portable shelter for carrying and storing pets.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical foldable and portable shelters comprise a number of wall members or panels, such as a bottom wall, two opposed end walls, two side walls, and a roof member, that are required to be assembled together.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,144,852 to Messeas discloses one of the typical portable knock-down animal housing structures including opposed end walls and side walls interrelated by tie rod members and lock nuts, for supporting a bottom wall, and a roof member shaped and dimensioned to define a shallow receptacle when the housing structure is disassembled to receive the wall members. However, it will be complicated to manufacture and assemble the opposed end walls and the side walls and the bottom wall and the roof member together, and it will be difficult to engage tie rod members into and through the wall members, such that the manufacturing and assembling time may be greatly increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,577 to Mathis discloses another typical prefabricated animal housing comprising side walls having spaced corner lugs at the end thereof which interconnect with front and rear walls which also include spaced corner lugs at the end thereof, and a floor and roof mounted with the side walls and the front and rear walls with lock pins. However, similarly, it will be complicated to manufacture and assemble the side walls and the front and rear walls and the floor wall and the roof member together, and it will be difficult to engage tie lock pins into and through the wall members, such that the manufacturing and assembling time may be greatly increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,713 to Hawley, III discloses a further typical collapsible dog house comprising two opposed side walls, a front wall, a rear wall, a floor and roof which are separable components, the side walls are notched and grooved to fit the skirts of the floor and roof and also to fit the front and rear walls. However, similarly, it will be complicated to manufacture and assemble the side walls and the front and rear walls and the floor wall and the roof member together, and it will be difficult to engage notches and grooves with the skirts of the floor and roof and to fit the front and rear walls, such that the manufacturing and assembling time may be greatly increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,056 to Sou discloses a still further typical portable case for carrying small animal comprising two opposed side boards, a top board connected at its left and right sides to the respective upper end faces of the left and right side wall boards through the aid of hinged joints, and a bottom board connected to the side wall boards. However, similarly, it will be complicated to manufacture and assemble the side wall boards and the front and rear wall boards and the floor wall board and the roof board member together, and it will be difficult to engage hinged joints into and through the wall members, such that the manufacturing and assembling time may be greatly increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,501 to McDaniel et al. discloses a still further typical animal shelter and feed dispenser comprising two opposed side boards, a top board connected to the left and right side wall boards, and a bottom board connected to the side wall boards with post members and clip elements. However, similarly, it will be complicated to manufacture and assemble the side wall boards and the front and rear wall boards and the floor wall board and the roof board member together, and it will be difficult to engage post members and clip elements with the wall members, such that the manufacturing and assembling time may be greatly increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,952 to Houser discloses a still further typical portable shelter for carrying small animal comprising a body portion foldable to a rectangular and spatial or three-dimensional structure, a base assembly, a first story assembly, an intermediate assembly, a rear wall assembly, a front wall assembly, and a roof assembly. However, similarly, it will be complicated to manufacture and assemble the body portion, the base assembly, the first story assembly, the intermediate assembly, the rear wall assembly, the front wall assembly, and the roof assembly together, such that the manufacturing and assembling time for the typical portable shelter may be greatly increased.
The closest prior art references of which the applicant is aware were disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,090 to Hui, U.S. Publication No. 2008/0121188 to Axelrod et al., U.S. Publication No. 2003/0127060 to Yeung, and U.S. Publication No. 2004/0134444 to Shiever et al.